Reports of the open area excavation at the York Minster Library conducted in 1997 and associated research are presented in this book. The excavation was complemented by geophysical survey and detailed documentary research in advance of an extension to the Minster Library, a converted medieval archbishop's chapel. The research unearthed archaeological strata up to two metres deep which have been attributed to eight distinct periods of activity. The periods of activity include evidence for Roman legionary barracks, an 11th-century boundary ditch, a 13th-century solar block of the archbishop's palace, 17th-century pleasure gardens, and, finally, the conversion of the archbishop's chapel into the Minster Library. With contributions by Craig Barclay, Paul Bidwell, Martin Carver, Jonathan Clark, Hilary Cool, Brenda Dickinson, Sandra Garside-Neville, Kate Giles, Kay Hartley, Deborah Jaques, Patrick Ottaway, Barbara Precious, Nicky Rogers, Jennie Stopford, Alan Vince and Felicity Ward.